Calories Burned Doing a bodyweight workout at 55 kg — 275 kcal per Hour
Doing a bodyweight workout at 55 kg (110–132 lb) burns about 275 kcal per hour. That figure comes from the activity's MET value of 5 in the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities, multiplied by body weight: 5 × 55 kg × 1 hour = 275 kcal. This page works the numbers out in full — for 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 minutes, across all four weight bands, and against four comparable activities at the same weight — so you can plan sessions with real figures instead of guessing.
A bodyweight workout is a session built entirely from exercises that use your own weight — squats, push-ups, lunges, planks and rows. The Compendium's closest published value is weight lifting at a moderate effort, 5.0 METs.
It suits home exercisers, travellers and beginners, because it needs no equipment and no gym membership. That is 275 kcal per hour at 55 kg, or about 138 kcal for a 30-minute session. Everything below is an estimate: MET values are population averages, and your own burn will vary with fitness, technique and conditions. That does not make the numbers useless — it makes them a planning tool, and a good one, as long as you treat them as approximate.
Calculate your own numbers
Use the Calorie calculator to work out your own burn for doing a bodyweight workout at your exact weight and session length. Enter your weight, pick the activity and set the duration, and the tool applies the same MET formula shown below. You can also try the TDEE calculator to see how this session fits into your total daily energy use.
Related pages in this section:
- Calories Burned Doing a bodyweight workout at 65 kg — 325 kcal per Hour
- Calories Burned Doing a bodyweight workout at 75 kg — 375 kcal per Hour
- Calories Burned Doing a bodyweight workout at 85 kg — 425 kcal per Hour
- Calories burned hub
The formula, shown and cited
The standard way to estimate the energy cost of an activity is the MET formula from the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al., Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2011; 43(8): 1575–1581):
Calories (kcal) = MET × body weight (kg) × duration (hours)
One MET is the energy you use sitting quietly at rest — about 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour. An activity rated at 5 METs therefore uses 5 times as much energy as resting. The Compendium's MET values come from published studies that measured oxygen use during each activity, so they are measured averages, not guesses. The Compendium has no exact entry for a general bodyweight workout, so the data file uses the closest published value: weight lifting at a moderate effort, 5.0 METs.
Worked through for this page:
- MET for doing a bodyweight workout: 5
- Body weight: 55 kg (the midpoint of the 50-60 kg band, 110–132 lb)
- Duration: 1 hour
- Calculation: 5 × 55 × 1 = 275 kcal
For a 30-minute session the same calculation is 5 × 55 × 0.5 = 138 kcal. Nothing else is hidden in the maths — if your weight or duration changes, only those two numbers change.
Your numbers at 55 kg
| Duration | Calculation | Calories burned |
|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 5 × 55 × 0.25 | 69 kcal |
| 30 minutes | 5 × 55 × 0.5 | 138 kcal |
| 45 minutes | 5 × 55 × 0.75 | 206 kcal |
| 60 minutes | 5 × 55 × 1 | 275 kcal |
| 90 minutes | 5 × 55 × 1.5 | 412 kcal |
That is about 4.6 kcal per minute of doing a bodyweight workout at this weight. A short session still counts: even 15 minutes burns 69 kcal, and three 15-minute sessions across a day add up to the same 206 kcal as one 45-minute session.
How the burn changes with body weight
The MET value stays the same — it describes the activity, not the person — but the calorie total scales with weight, because a heavier body costs more energy to move:
| Body weight | Calories per hour | Calories per 30 minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 55 kg | 275 kcal | 138 kcal |
| 65 kg | 325 kcal | 162 kcal |
| 75 kg | 375 kcal | 188 kcal |
| 85 kg | 425 kcal | 212 kcal |
Two people doing the same activity for the same time can therefore burn quite different amounts, and that is expected — it is physics, not a mistake in the formula. If your weight sits between two rows, your figure sits between the two values.
At 55 kg (121 lb), the absolute numbers are the smallest of the four weight bands on this page, because a lighter body costs less energy to move. That does not mean the workout is easier — the effort, the heart rate and the relative intensity are the same as for a heavier person doing the same activity. What changes is only the calorie total, and that is exactly what the MET formula predicts: the same MET value multiplied by a smaller weight gives a smaller number. If your weight is near the bottom of the 50–60 kg band, the 55 kg figures are your best guide; if you are nearer 60 kg, your true figure sits a little above them.
How doing a bodyweight workout compares
Here is doing a bodyweight workout against four other activities at the same 55 kg, all using the same MET formula:
| Activity | MET | Calories per hour at 55 kg |
|---|---|---|
| doing a bodyweight workout | 5 | 275 kcal |
| weight lifting at a moderate effort | 5 | 275 kcal |
| walking briskly | 5 | 275 kcal |
| ballet | 5 | 275 kcal |
| water aerobics | 5.5 | 302 kcal |
Use this table to choose, not to judge. A higher number means a harder session, not a better one: the activity you enjoy and repeat three times a week beats the activity that burns more per hour but that you quit after a fortnight. Mixing intensities across the week — one harder session, two easier ones — is usually more sustainable than doing the hardest activity every time.
Fitting doing a bodyweight workout into your week
| Sessions per week | 30 minutes each | 60 minutes each |
|---|---|---|
| 2 sessions | 275 kcal | 550 kcal |
| 3 sessions | 412 kcal | 825 kcal |
| 5 sessions | 688 kcal | 1375 kcal |
At 5 METs, doing a bodyweight workout counts as moderate activity, so it contributes directly towards the widely used adult target of 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. Three 30-minute sessions a week give you 90 of those minutes and burn about 412 kcal a week at 55 kg. Build up gradually — add 10% to your weekly total at most, and keep at least one rest day.
How to use the result
Pick 5–6 exercises covering legs, push, pull and core, and do 3 rounds of 10–15 reps each with a minute's rest between rounds. Use the numbers on this page to set realistic expectations rather than to chase a daily total. If you are tracking food as well, add the session's calories to your total daily energy expenditure for that day, and remember that the figure is an estimate with roughly 10–20% uncertainty. Do not eat back every calorie the calculator shows: activity trackers and MET estimates both tend to overstate slightly, and a small margin keeps a weight-loss plan on track. If you are aiming to lose weight, keep the deficit modest — 300–500 kcal a day is a common, sustainable range — and keep your total intake above the safety floors of 1,200 kcal a day for women and 1,500 kcal a day for men unless a healthcare professional advises otherwise.
What the number does NOT tell you
The MET formula is honest about what it measures and silent about the rest. It does not account for your fitness level: a fit person burns fewer calories doing the same activity than an unfit person, because their body is more efficient. It does not account for body composition — two people at the same weight with different amounts of muscle and fat will burn slightly different amounts. It does not include the afterburn (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) that follows hard sessions, it does not measure strength, flexibility or balance gained, and it says nothing about how the activity affects your appetite, sleep or mood. It also cannot tell you whether the activity is safe for you: if you have a heart condition, joint problems, asthma or any other health concern, check with a healthcare professional before starting a new, intense activity. Use the calorie figure as a planning estimate, and judge the activity by how you feel doing it and whether you keep doing it.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories do I burn doing a bodyweight workout for 30 minutes at 55 kg?
About 138 kcal. The maths is 5 METs × 55 kg × 0.5 hours = 138 kcal. That is an estimate from the Compendium average — your real burn depends on your fitness, your pace and the conditions. If you weigh more or less than 55 kg, use the weight table above to read your own figure.
Is doing a bodyweight workout good for weight loss?
It can help, but only as part of an overall calorie deficit. At 55 kg, an hour of doing a bodyweight workout burns about 275 kcal, which is a useful contribution — roughly the energy in a modest meal — but weight loss still comes from the total balance of food and activity across the week, not from one session. Aim for a gradual loss of 0.5–1% of body weight per week, and never drop below 1,200 kcal a day (women) or 1,500 kcal a day (men) without medical supervision.
How does doing a bodyweight workout compare with weight lifting at a moderate effort?
At 55 kg, doing a bodyweight workout burns about 275 kcal per hour against 275 kcal for weight lifting at a moderate effort — the two activities burn the same at this weight. The best choice is usually the one you will actually do several times a week — consistency matters more than a small difference in the hourly rate.
How accurate is the 5 MET value for doing a bodyweight workout?
It is a population average from the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al.), which compiled measured energy costs across published studies. Individuals vary by roughly 10–20% around the average because of fitness, body composition, technique and conditions. Treat 275 kcal per hour as a planning estimate, not a precise measurement of your own body.
How many calories do I burn doing a bodyweight workout in an hour at 55 kg?
About 275 kcal — the maths is 5 METs × 55 kg × 1 hour. That works out at about 4.6 kcal per minute. Over a week, three one-hour sessions would add up to about 825 kcal from this activity alone, before the rest of your daily movement.
Estimates only, not medical advice. Minimum safe intakes: 1,200 kcal/day women, 1,500 kcal/day men — consult a healthcare professional before a very-low-calorie diet.